British Open venue expaned for 2013

Scotland's Muirfield course has been lengthened by 158 yards in prepartion for the 2013 British Open Championship.

This
year's tournament will be staged there from July 18 to 21, with the
course extended so as to really "challenge" those playing in
the tournament, according to Peter Dawson, chief executive of British golf's governing body.

With new tees added on seven of the holes, the
par 71 course now measures a total of 7,192 yards. In the most prominent
changes, the ninth tee has been moved back 50
yards, which has enabled the par-five to be extended to 554 yards and
feature new bunkers.

The new additions means that the course has
increased 2% in size than when The British Open Championship was last played at
Muirfield in 2002.

In that tournament South African Ernie Els emerged victorious, just as he did last year at Royal Lytham.

Dawson said: "We are absolutely delighted to be back at Muirfield for the 16th time."

"The
ground here is relatively flat and every hole seems to be going in a
different direction, but we will be setting the golf course up to
challenge these golfers.

"The rough has been cut down over the
winter but will regenerate over the coming weeks. We will see the rough
up and you are unlikely to win an Open Championship at Muirfield from
the rough. The amount of rough is weather-dependent, but we will get
plenty."